Proving Them Wrong
by HelloFoxie
Summary: Take one look at the bright eyesore that is Uzumaki Naruto, and you would be certain such a kid had no stealth potential. He's clumsy, loud, and what IS that colour? But when the need arises, he may just surprise you with his abilities. Take a look as Naruto uses his extraordinary transformation skills to save lives, rather than give perverts heart attacks. Undercover!Naruto
1. Mission Success

"NARUTO! YOU MORON!" Sakura screamed at her blonde teammate, hands fisting in anger.

The blonde in question was covered head-to-toe in bright blue paint. Behind him, a group of grinning academy students stood, a few still clutching some remaining water balloons.

Kakashi eye-smiled nervously. Perhaps this D-Rank mission to help the Academy students with stealth detection wasn't working out so well.

… … …

 _Two hours earlier_

… … …

After receiving the mission, Kakashi had proposed a challenge to his team. If all of them remained unspotted by the Genin-hopefuls, he would reward them with a new C-Rank mission.

Kakashi should have known that it wasn't going to work out.

It had started off well. Sasuke ghosted high in the trees, and Sakura leapt from tree trunk to tree trunk, a crude but effective method of stealth.

Naruto, however, had slightly surprised Kakashi. Even wearing orange, the boy had made himself more scarce than even Sasuke, to the point where his lazy observation was only catching glimpses of the boy. Perhaps those years running from ANBU after pranks had done the blonde some good.

Then, Sakura had begun to flounder. The girl was slight, and naturally quiet, however her stealth was unpractised and clumsy. Simply hiding behind branches and tree trunks would be difficult to keep up while travelling towards the goal. She would likely get chased down and spotted, even by one of the nine year olds.

As Sasuke travelled quickly towards the finish, it was Naruto who noticed Sakura's struggle. Kakashi saw a patch of orange hover uncertainly before doubling back to near his trailing teammate.

The copy nin perked up, eyebrow raising as he observed the pair. Sakura appeared not to have noticed Naruto hanging about, continuing clumsily towards the goal.

Kakashi turned his attention solely on Naruto, watching his movements critically.

He had never been more proud.

The orange-loving blonde was not only successfully staying out of sight, he was also assisting his teammates' travel. Kakashi observed him utilize his shadow clones to sneak behind the group of approaching students and rustle some bushes, drawing the attention of a few who had nearly glimpsed Sakura pass.

A few more distractions later, and Sakura was within a hundred metres of the designated meeting area. Sasuke was already present, slouched with an unimpressed expression on his face.

No doubt the Uchiha thought himself superior for finishing so quickly, but Kakashi was far more pleased with Naruto's performance.

The blonde had begun moving swiftly off the mark, keeping ahead of even Sasuke. It was only when he noticed Sakura trailing that he had slowed, allowing the Uchiha to pass him.

He had already told the team that _none_ of them were to be spotted if they wanted a C-Rank mission, and it appeared that Naruto was responding successfully to his hint that teamwork was key.

He proudly observed the blonde and his extremely successful stealth. His use of clones as distractions was a strategy easily in the high-chuunin range.

They were so close, and Kakashi was already gearing up to congratulate them - especially Naruto - on their success.

Unfortunately, like so many of their D-Rank missions, this is where it went wrong.

One of the children - no doubt a member of the Inuzuka clan or another tracking specialist - had flicked her head towards the real Naruto's hiding spot.

Perhaps she had caught a hint of his scent, or maybe the orange was simply too glaring to miss.

Naruto, to his credit, instantly sensed eyes on him and reacted accordingly before she could even heft a balloon. He flexed his knees and sprung silently from the tree branch he stood on, leaping in a blur to head towards another tree about fifteen metres ahead. Such quick travel would not be maintainable under regular stealth conditions, but it was an easy and effective way to get out of being discovered.

Kakashi was once again thoroughly impressed, and was pleased that it seemed this would be a mission where he could finally congratulate Naruto over the other two Genin.

However it was here, with Naruto in mid-air, that their mission failed.

Sakura, still making her way towards the goal, had jumped deftly into the exact position that Naruto was already mid-leap for. Kakashi almost face-palmed. As a ninja, she should have been aware of her teammates and their position at all times.

Through a gap in the trees, Kakashi saw Naruto's eyes widen, his arms flying out to grab onto a branch to slow him down or change his trajectory. Unfortunately, he was too far from any to do anything.

However, the boy wasn't done yet. Kakashi raised his eye brow again as the blondes' hands flew into a familiar hand seal. In the same instant, Kakashi witnessed the boy grimace, glancing down at the heads of two academy students who were mere metres away, oblivious to the ninja above them.

Within the space of a second, Kakashi had not only witnessed Naruto think of a plan to avoid collision, but also discard it as unusable due to the noise and therefore detection it could create. It was this on-the-fly thinking that made Kakashi privately believe that he could see Naruto one day becoming Hokage, able to fire of quick decisions with logic and reasoning behind him.

However, this left the only option for the boy: continue in his travel as silently as he could

All Naruto could do was stare transfixed at Sakura, begging the girl to silently notice him and move, or at least continue her travel out of the way.

Unfortunately, Sakura was taking extra time to settle herself before each progression, observing her surroundings before leaping. She should be doing this at all times, not only at points of safety, and if she had been doing it properly, their mission would probably have been successful.

As it was, Kakashi could only watch the panicking blonde sail straight into the back of his pink-haired teammate, colliding with her with a thump.

Sakura tumbled forward off the branch, dropping to the floor with a gasp.

Naruto rebounded from the sudden stop, and dropped backwards awkwardly, falling a metre behind Sakura, between her and the two academy student.

Instantly, Naruto was covered in paint, his appearance only getting more blue as the other students were drawn to the noise and arrived to throw their own.

The pink haired ninja rounded on her teammate, fire in her eyes.

"NARUTO! YOU MORON!" Sakura screamed at her blonde teammate, hands fisting in anger.

As Sakura approached her teammate furiously, Kakashi decided to step in. No point him ending up black and blue instead of just blue.

… … … … …. … … … … … …

The wizened Hokage looked over each member of Team 7 equally.

Sasuke and Sakura both stood glaring in the direction of their paint-spattered teammate, keeping their distance.

Kakashi hovered awkwardly in between the two groups, trying to create a semblance of team between them.

"I take it the Academy students are quite well practiced in stealth detection." The Hokage hummed, a slight smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"No!" Sakura screeched, and all heads turned to her. "It's Naruto-Baka's fault, he ruined the whole mission with his terrible ninja skills!... Hokage-sama" The girl petered off awkwardly as she remembered who she was talking to.

"Oh?" A grey eyebrow raised. "Naruto-kun is usually very stealthy. He's one of our most promising ninja for stealth and disguises. Gives my Anbu quite the run for their money." He chuckled.

The blonde - now blue - haired boy who until now had been uncharacteristically quiet perked up a bit at the praise, offering a small smile to his Grandfather surrogate.

Sakura, still remembering who she was addressing, fidgeted as she contained herself.

"Are you sure, Hokage-sama? He stands out like a sore thumb with that orange and is clumsy to boot." Another glare at the wilting blonde.

Hiruzen raised a pipe to his lips, smirking.

"Oh yes, I imagine that if he so wished, I myself could pass Naruto in the street and be none the wiser. His mastery of stealth, henge and his ability to change his whole personality to suit are quite remarkable."

Kakashi caught an almost unperceivable blush to the Hokage's face. No doubt he had Sexy no Juutsu in his mind.

Naruto seemed to be on an emotional rollercoaster, being praised and insulted from two sides. He now stood awkwardly, the paint on his face cracking as it dried.

"Regardless," The Hokage continued. "You did indeed help the Academy students in their stealth detection, so this is still a successful mission. You won't be wanting any more missions today, Kakashi?"

The addressed man shook his head.

"No, Hokage-sama."

"Good." Hiruzen puffed on his pipe. "Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan, you are dismissed. Naruto-kun and Kakashi, I need to speak to you.

The two dismissed turned to leave, leering at their blonde teammate as they passed.

As the door closed behind them, Hiruzen's face became serious

"We have an important mission I think you can help us out with, Naruto-kun."

As the Hokage explained, the blonde's eyes widened in surprise.

… … … … … … …

Half a continent away, a young girl was crying.

"P-please! Don't hurt me!" She sobbed.

Barely into her teens, the young lady was dressed in the finest clothes; rich colours, fashionable cut and adorned with bangles and jewellery. Her hair was frazzled, showing evidence of having been pulled back into a neat bun.

She knelt in the middle of the corpses of her three ninja guardians, all slain within seconds.

She began to sob as a dark figure approached.

…. …. … … … … ..

Hey guys!

New story, just a little snacky palate cleanser in between working on Things We Know. This won't be as long or as heavy, but it could have a lot more potential for pairings and such that I am not going to include in TWK.

So, it's up to you. I want you to suggest pairings/character deaths/bashings, anything you want to see as the story progresses. If I like the idea and it doesn't clash with the plot, it'll be included.

So, please read and review with your thoughts each chapter!


	2. A Joint Mission

"A joint mission, Hokage-sama?" Kurenai questioned, frowning in surprise.

The Hokage's office was a little crowded with all the Ninja inside. At the front stood the two Jonin, Kurenai respectfully straight and Kakashi dismissively slouched.

Milling around behind them awkwardly was an interesting smattering of Genin.

Sasuke and Sakura stood near each other, although that was likely Sakura's doing.

On the other side of the Uchiha was Ino, who was gradually getting closer to the boy, ignoring the glares of the Pink-haired girl.

Closer to the door, Shikamaru slouched, no doubt wishing he could sit or lean. Behind him stood Hinata and Kiba, both fidgeting in awkwardness and boredom respectively.

The Hokage puffed on his pipe.

"Yes, we've received a large number of requests for assistance all over fire country. Recently, there have been young, pretty, and well-off young ladies going missing from their caravans or travel groups. Their guards have all been slain."

The Genin all stood a little straighter, their attention perking up at the serious note to the conversation.

"I've selected you eight to lead a protection squad for one of our own young nobles on her travel to the Land of Waves." The Hokage took another drag on his pipe. "Now, this won't be your only mission. We need to eliminate this threat once and for all, which is why I have chosen all of you to assist."

"Each member of this team has a remarkable budding skill that will be very important to the success of the mission." It was clear he was addressing the Genin in the room at this point.

"Sakura-chan, Shikamaru-kun, your minds' are some of the best from the Academy. You two will be in charge of strategies and tactics if Kakashi and Kurenai are not around. I expect you to do your best, the fate of this mission could be resting in your hands."

Shikamaru nodded curtly, Sakura agreeing with a high-pitched squeak of "Hai!"

Hiruzen moved on.

"Sasuke-kun and Hinata-chan, your eyes will be invaluable here. Kiba-kun and Akamaru, the same for your noses. The terrain will be mostly forests with plenty of places to hide, so you all will make sure that the target is always in your sights."

Ino froze as the Hokage turned to her at last.

"Ino-chan, your father has been boasting about your skill with Clan techniques." Despite his smile, Ino still shifted awkwardly. "When Kakashi and Kurenai have captured the target, you will be in charge of investigating his mind for where they have taken the previous girls."

Ino went a little pale.

"But what of our other team members?" Kurenai brought up.

"Asuma will be taking the remaining team-members under his wing for the duration. No doubt everyone on this mission or not can benefit from a change of scenery." The Hokage explained.

Kurenai stepped back, satisfied.

"Now, a brief summary of what we know." The Hokage shuffled some papers around on his desk. "Reports indicate it is definitely a lone offender in these kidnappings. He kills swiftly with a strike to the throats and rarely uses juutsu, so we are unsure of what his village affiliation may be. Ransom has not yet proved to be the focus of his goal, as none of the families have been provided with demands. It is suspected they are being sold into slavery; unfortunately such pampered and sheltered young ladies fetch a high price."

Sakura blanched.

"He certainly does his research, and there have been girls kidnapped not an hour after leaving their destination. There have been suggestions that he has spies in most if not all major cities reporting of the comings and goings, so be on the alert the second you leave the gates."

"Kakashi, Kurenai, I'll give you a more detailed run-down on the finer points. Genin, I want you all to pack for a long-term mission and meet your Sensei at the gates tomorrow morning at 7am sharp."

The Genin bowed and shuffled hurriedly out the door.

…. … …. … … … … … …

Short little chap. Next will be longer definitely

This is really just a fic I wanted to write to explore the dynamics between members of the Rookie 9. Unfortunately, I didn't really feel like including Shino or Choji, not just because they are background characters that wouldn't add much anyway, but also because I couldn't justify them being there.

So, it's just a little idea I cooked up to show just how proficient Naruto is at hiding himself when he wants to. May get a little dark later as we explore the reasons behind this ability, but we shall see.

Anyway, as mentioned in the previous chapter, this is a pretty flexible story otherwise, so feel free to suggest pairings etc to add to this fic.


	3. Mishina Natsumi

Sasuke was internally proud of being chosen for this mission, whether his Uchiha eyes factored into the decision or not.

He was going on a high C ranked mission with almost guaranteed combat.

He allowed a small smirk to grace his lips as he strode through the streets of Konoha.

Finally, he could put his training to good use. These 'chores' they had him doing were limiting him, and he had been getting more and more frustrated.

Approaching the gate, he found he was the first Genin there.

Kurenai stood, chatting with an almost impossibly petite girl in a flowing red dress.

As he walked over to them, Sasuke realized that this must be the 'young noble' they were to escort. He hadn't expected her to be as young as she was; she was probably only four or five years older than him.

Her hair was dark and extremely long, longer even than Sasuke and Ino's hair. From what he could see of her face, it was smooth and clear, showing no weathering. Very sheltered, then.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun." Kurenai greeted as he reached them, turning to face him. "This is Mishina Natsumi, who we will be escorting."

The girl turned her heart shaped face towards him, and Sasuke braced himself mentally for the fawning adoration that was probably to follow.

Instead, he met cool, brown eyes, slightly crinkled at the corner as she smiled pleasantly at him.

"Nice to meet you, Sasuke-san." She dipped her head to him. Her posture was straight and regal.

Sasuke was almost impressed. This was a girl who knew how to carry herself. She was proud and confident, not the giggling mass that most girls or kunoichi became around him. Her eyes met him evenly, and Sasuke was surprised to feel a certain connection to her, as though she were an equal to him. More often than not, the eyes he met in Konoha either regarded him with annoying hero-worship, or even more frustrating pity.

It was… nice, he decided, to be regarded as just another normal person.

With small bow back to her, he turned to wait for the rest of the team to arrive.

Sure, the noble was pleasant now, but would that remain as they waited for hours for Kakashi in the hot sun?

… … … … … … … … …

She was extremely pretty, Ino raged internally. _Not_ jealous, she told herself.

Dark hair fell in waves to her elbows, smooth as silk. Ino had to work for an hour to get her hair to lie that perfectly flat.

Her dress was perfectly tailored, everyday clothes seemed to be to her what a special occasion dress was to Ino. She stood with perfect poise, and yet still seemed to be relaxed.

Her heart shaped face was tilted towards _her_ Sasuke-kun, trying to engage him in conversation. And it appeared to be working, she noted sourly, as she saw the Uchiha mutter a few words back. He never spoke to _her_ when she tried talking to him.

And then she turned to the approaching Yamanaka and smiled.

And Ino couldn't hate her.

The smile was so warm and genuine, and despite the age gap between them, Ino felt she was looking at a human being every bit her equal. Not looked down upon for her age.

"Hi, I'm Mishina Natsumi." Even her voice was moonlight.

Ino couldn't help but smile back.

"Yamanaka Ino." She bowed respectfully.

The girl's hand shot out and grabbed Ino's own.

"I love your hair!" She gushed with wide eyes. "It's so blonde and perfect."

Ino flushed a little, acutely aware she had been complemented by an attractive stranger right in front of Sasuke-kun.

"Thank you." Ino beamed back.

No, Ino couldn't hate Mishina Natsumi.

… … … … … … … …. … … … …

Breakfast was always a sombre affair in the Hyuuga household.

As the clan head's duties were extensive, lunch and dinner were often spent without Hiashi's presence.

Breakfast was the only meal that the elder Hyuuga could spend with his daughters.

Despite this, Hiashi rarely spoke. He simply sipped his tea and asked the occasional question to one of his daughters in a clipped tone.

Today, it was Hinata that he broke the silence for first.

"I hear you have a mission today, Hinata." The Hyuuga head set down his teacup on the saucer.

She felt her cheeks begin to burn, just as they always did when addressed directly.

"Y-yes." She stuttered. "We have a joint mission to escort a noblewoman to the Land of Waves."

She paused in her eating as she waited for a response.

Her father simply nodded once, bringing the cup to his lips again.

"You will not embarrass our clan in front of your colleagues." It was not a question.

Hinata nodded once, swallowing a lump in her throat as she stared down at her bowl.

After breakfast, Hinata retrieved her pack and left the Hyuuga compound. Her father did not stay to bid her farewell.

She made her way towards the gate, hoping she wasn't late.

With relief, she noted only a few of her teammates were. One of which was Ino.

Hinata had nothing against Ino as a person. But her personality was the antithesis of Hinata's own, and she often felt very uncomfortable being around the outspoken girl. It was like a beacon was being shone on her whenever she stood near the more outgoing ninja.

Chatting to the blonde was a teenager that she didn't recognize. It was not polite to stare, so Hinata only took in dark hair and a round, pale face before she glanced away politely, approaching the group.

She stopped a few metres away from the chatting girls, fiddling with the straps on her pack.

After a few minutes of waiting, she realized that the two had stopped talking, and with a start she found herself face to face with the unknown girl.

"Hi!" A bright but gentle smile. "Mishina Natsumi."

"H-Hyuuga Hinata." She quickly bowed low to the girl.

Her eyes widened in shock when - still mid-bow - she felt hands on her head.

"Wow! I've never seen blue hair before. This is amazing!" A hand under her chin lifted her from her bow.

The hands didn't leave, running themselves over her fringe and flitting down to her side bangs.

Hinata looked up into wide, curious eyes.

"It really suits you." The girl let her hands fall to her sides.

The Hyuuga felt her cheeks begin to burn again.

"Thank you." She murmured shyly, dropping her eyes to the floor.

The older girl gave off a certain energy, and yet it wasn't the overpowering one that Ino had. Or the cold, stoic one that persisted around the majority of Hyuugas.

It was a welcoming, friendly aura that made Hinata feel as though this girl was the centre of everyone's attention. She was infinitely comfortable with that, and felt surprisingly at ease standing near such a dominant aura. Even though she was the focus of this girl's attention, the eyes that were tracked on the older girl weren't also following over to view Hinata herself.

It was as though the girl - Mishina-san - commanded all attention around her, leaving Hinata sheltered and not under scrutiny.

Hinata was very ok with that.

… … … … … … … … …

"You're going to be late!" Her mother scolded.

Sakura already knew that, and she grumbled as she brushed past her mother who was trying to shove some food into her hands.

She'd had to make sure she had everything for the road in order to out-shine Ino-pig.

It wasn't fair that the other girl seemed to have a natural beauty to her that Sakura just couldn't replicate. She had to brush and style her hair and make-up for an hour to be able to compete, and here they both were on a mission with Sasuke-kun.

She would be damned if she was going to let Ino get closed to her Sasuke-kun.

So she had to be a better ninja, prettier and smarter than Ino-pig.

She knew she had the smarts down, but they were fairly tied in the ninja regard - at least last time she checked. But as much as she loathed to admit it, Ino definitely one-upped her on the beauty level.

She just hoped Sasuke-kun preferred brains over body.

She dashed out the door, running almost the whole way to the gate. She stopped just around the corner, smoothing her hair down and trying to calm her breathing. She'd lose Sasuke Points for sure if she ran over all sweaty and out of breath.

Calming down sufficiently, she rounded the corner.

The first person she noticed was Sasuke-kun, slouched in a super cool way against the gate.

Next, she saw Kurenai-sensei chatting to the gate guards.

Finally her eyes landed on a group of girls, one of which was Ino-pig.

 _She beat me!_ Sakura raged internally. She couldn't let Ino have any time alone with her Sasuke-kun

But interestingly, the blonde wasn't even looking in the direction of the Uchiha.

Beside her was Hinata, which was something else unusual. Ino wasn't particularly fond of the Hyuuga, finding her shyness awkward to be around.

Both of them were nodding along to a taller girl dressed in a gorgeous red dress, her hair waving gently in the breeze as she spoke.

Sakura looked down at her own red dress, forcing herself not to pout as she compared hers with the tailored one on the teenager before her.

She continued her approach, pushing the thought aside. Surely Sasuke-kun would realize that hers was clearly the more versatile for a kunoichi to wear.

She drew close enough to hear the conversation. The older girls' voice was gentle, like bells, yet commanded attention even as she spoke at regular volume.

The teenager was the first to notice her approach, and broke off her conversation.

"Hi, I'm Mishina Natsumi. You must be Sakura-san, we've been talking about you."

Sakura shot Ino a sour glance.

"Only good things!" Natsumi chirped pleasantly, spotting the look.

And then she was off again, continuing the conversation that had been going on before Sakura arrived.

Even though Sakura was standing so close to both the object of her affection and her bitter rival, she couldn't feel at ease as the older girl chatted away, making eye contact with each of the girls fairly and equally.

It wasn't long before she, Ino, and even Hinata occasionally were sharing their own stories as they waited for the remaining team members to arrive.

Sakura hadn't felt this comfortable in a long time.

… … … … … … … … … …

"… Akamaru should be the only one that smells like a dog, Kiba! How do you expect to find a mate when you smell like that?"

Kiba glowered at his older sister, catching the can of deodorant that she tossed him.

On his head, Akamaru yipped.

"Oh shut up, you." The boy grumbled, chucking the can into his bag before hoisting it to his shoulder.

Like any of the other ninja were going to smell nice after days on the road anyway.

He grumbled to himself all the way to the front gate, stopping briefly to snag a pastry from the bakery.

While he certainly had been pretty chuffed to be hand-selected for this mission by the Hokage himself, Kiba wasn't looking forward to spending time with his teammates.

Hinata was fine. They shy girl was already on his team, and although not very outgoing, she was pleasant company he was familiar with.

Likewise with Kurenai-sensei. She was his teacher, so hopefully they wouldn't be missing out on training while on the road. Having an older role model that wasn't gruff and demeaning like the majority of his clan was somewhat pleasant. However her personality wasn't very dominant, and he often caught himself looking at her like a pack-mate, not an alpha like she should be.

The problems were his other teammates.

Shikamaru was generally neutral, but the blasé outlook on life that the boy had just grated on Kiba's nerves. He'd probably be able to ignore him, but since the Hokage had basically put him in status above him, his alpha personality was itching.

Ino and Sakura. Both just as bad as each other. Fine looking girls, probably would be fine looking women. When they grew up. But right now they were just a walking headache to his sensitive ears, and the amount of perfume they heaped onto themselves was torture at close range. They were just like typical civilian girls, trying to show off, especially with Sasuke in the local area.

Speaking of… Uchiha Sasuke. What a punk. Kiba considered himself an alpha, so he recognized another one when he saw one. But whereas Kiba asserted his dominance with his loud voice and posturing, the Uchiha slouched in a corner, never speaking, and gained just as much attention. And for what? Because he had nicer hair? The kid always smelled like a girl, anyway. If these women wanted a real man, then Kiba was it.

Lastly, Hatake Kakashi. The guy was super weird. And lazy, if what he had overheard from Sakura was true. Something about him just irked Kiba the wrong way. It was like, Kiba and the others were a pack of dogs, and Kakashi was a wolf who hung around them, mingling in as though everything was normal. Yet the dogs always felt like the wolf would suddenly snap, and that hanging over their heads mean they were always on edge.

The only member of Team 7 he could handle was Naruto. The kid was louder than he was, and certainly a budding alpha personality, yet there was a certain air of humility that you didn't often find with alpha types. Definitely a protective kid, he'd go to bat for his friends even if it put him in danger. Kiba respected that. It was weird, though. Naruto always smelled…. Good. Like, pleasant. Not like boys his age usually do, and he couldn't put his finger on why.

Shame he couldn't boot the Uchiha off the team and swap him with Naruto. At least it would keep the banshee twins quieter.

He stuffed the last of the pastry in his mouth as he approached the gate.

Pretty much everyone except was there, most of them huddled except the antisocial Uchiha.

The huddle was completely made up by girls, too. That was pretty unusual, as it was roughly a 1/2 ratio of girls to guys in this line of work. Seeing a majority of the fairer sex was pretty unusual.

He easily recognized each of the girls by their distinctive hair colours, except for the dark haired girl who stood a head taller than the rest.

He couldn't see much of her body, but as soon as his slitted eyes locked on to her face, he accidentally inhaled half his mouthful.

Kiba hacked, trying to clear his throat.

The girl, in a word, was beautiful. A few years older than himself, he gauged - a nice mature woman - her face was perfect. With their keen eyes, the Inuzuka could inspect a person and notice things other people normally wouldn't; uneven eyes, uncentred noses, awkward ratios in facial structures. Yet this girl was perfect.

Her face was delicate and perfectly aligned, lips and cheeks plump and healthy. As she spoke, a straight line of white teeth flashed, further drawing his approval. The first signs of good health were plump skin and good teeth. And the first things Inuzuka noticed was good health in prospective mates.

Not to mention, her eyes sparkled with humor and intelligence. A double bonus. Inuzuka may be likened to dogs by everyone, but it wasn't just good looks that they jumped at. They liked their mates to be able to match them equally in wit and banter, not just be a pretty face.

Hinata noticed his approach and stepped back slightly from the group, smiling shyly at him.

As she stepped away, she revealed half of the unknown girls' body. Kiba could see a fit-to-form dress. Expensive. She was the noble they were escorting, then.

Kiba internally sighed. If there was one thing he knew, it was that the noble population and the Inuzuka didn't get along.

Despite their almost royal status amongst the ninja population, the civilians in their narrowmindedness had branded them as dirty and unrefined. Where their skills would garner them respect from their colleagues, their down-and-dirty fighting certainly wasn't attractive to the wearers of fine linen and silk.

That's why Inuzuka kids were rarely sponsored or favoured heavily for betting during the Chuunin exams - civilians would much rather look at pretty light shows from flashy juutsu than witness a real fight.

He nodded to Hinata as he reached her.

"T-this is Inuzuka Kiba, he's on my team." Hinata announced softly.

Kiba started slightly. The blue haired girl rarely spoke in groups, and even more rarely when around strangers. What had these girls been talking about to boost her confidence so suddenly?

The black haired girl smiled, small dimples forming in her cheeks.

"Mishina Natsumi." She introduced, bouncing forward to take his hand.

To his credit, Kiba recovered quickly. He hadn't expected anything but cool detachment from the girl.

For one, he was an Inuzuka. Two, he was a boy. A lot of the noble girls viewed anyone not of a similar status as riff-raff. And three, he was younger, and Kiba knew that most girls were far more interested in older, more mature guys.

He shook her hand, noting the softness. She hadn't hesitated or shrunk back when she felt his still slightly sticky fingers, or his hard callouses. She hadn't stepped back when she noticed his slightly dirty complexion from a morning training.

He wasn't sure exactly what type of person Mishina Natsumi was, but she was certainly… different.

… … … … … … … …. … … … … …

Shikamaru knew he was smart.

Even if he didn't have his Sensei and father "discretely" boasting about his intelligence to the other ninja, Shikamaru had always been acutely aware that he possessed more advanced processing power than his peers.

He'd breezed through the first few months of the academy exams, before overhearing that his teachers discussing moving him up a grade or two.

He was sure the work would be doable for him, certainly, but that didn't mean he _wanted_ to have to work harder.

Plus, Choji was in the class with him, and as he had practically grown up with the Akimichi, he was quite attached to him as a friend.

While Choji munched on chips, he could stare at clouds for hours, just as he was currently doing.

But, eventually, he reached graduating age, and more so not to waste all the years in the academy, he passed the test.

He had been a little surprised when the dead last was awarded to Uzumaki Naruto. While he and Shikamaru were certainly tied scores, the blonde had always shown so much passion and drive in his work that the Nara assumed would eventually amount to some level of success.

But, no. The boy had barely scraped a pass. Hadn't actually passed at all, in fact, until he was 'promoted due to a special circumstance.' Shikamaru almost had his curiosity peaked, before he found out he was being placed on the same team as the loud mouth Ino and his attention was diverted elsewhere.

The blonde was always a strange one. A lot of people couldn't see it, but there was definitely something he was hiding.

Sometimes, he'd glare out the window in frustration, tuning out lecture in stubborn rebellion when he couldn't understand it.

Other times, the gaze directed out the window was of boredom, as if he already knew the information.

But whether Naruto knew the information or not, his test results were always the same - below average, borderline failing.

It got to the point where Shikamaru and the blonde silently competed to see who could scrape the lowest passing mark. Shikamaru suspected Iruka-Sensei had cottoned on to the fact towards the end of their schooling, but despite his frustrated attempts had not been successful in motivating either one of them to do better.

Naruto was a kid Shikamaru could have a laugh with.

Unfortunately, Naruto was the _only_ team member of squad 7 who wouldn't be coming on this mission.

He'd be stuck with Sasuke's number 1 fan girl - worse, he'd be stuck with _both_ of the Uchiha's number 1 fan girls - and he'd somehow have to strategize with her.

He didn't doubt Sakura had a decent brain in her skull, but she so seldom used it when the Uchiha was around that it hardly seemed to count.

The very Uchiha who was on the mission also. Shikamaru internally groaned. He sincerely hoped that one or both of the Jonin Sensei would be around at all times so he wouldn't have to try and command the group of Genin.

While he didn't show much outward emotion except frustration and boredom, but Shikamaru hid a lot under a mask of indifference.

For one, he was deeply disappointed with the majority of his graduating class.

A lot of them showed promise - clan children or otherwise - yet practically all of them lacked any sort of world awareness, or any sense of duty or importance to anyone but themselves.

Kiba, for example, was a strong fighter in Shikamaru's opinion. Yet he could easily be out-manoeuvred by riling him up into anger. Not to mention the kid couldn't take criticism at all. Probably a problem from his hierarchical clan: alpha's don't _have_ flaws, after all.

Sakura and Ino. Both have great potential yet fall into a dithering mess around boys or new clothes.

Hinata. A good fighter but weak in personality and self-esteem. She could never take the final blow and lost a lot of spars that should have been her win.

Sasuke. Newest _prodigy_ of the Uchiha clan. Or what was left of it. The kid would be a strong fighter who could eventually become an invaluable member of a battalion, but he could neither take nor give orders.

The only people that Shikamaru held any respect for were Shino, Choji, and Naruto. The exact three who would be staying behind. The boy cursed his luck.

Choji, while still a little rough around the edges, was level headed and a good fighter. He also felt no need to rebel against orders like a lot of his peers, and as a result their missions went smoother when a quick command got Choji moving into action.

Shino was the most silent person Shikamaru knew, and the boy often flew under everyone's' radar. As a result, he was often underestimated, and by the time the enemy realized their mistake it was too late. Shikamaru often used a similar strategy, and therefore had a healthy amount of respect for the Aburame.

And Naruto. While certainly needing work in the personality department, the boy could pull a plan out of thin air and reveal a strategy that even Shikamaru hadn't considered. He clearly had an extremely tactical mind, and his command of Shadow Clones in these strategies showed his ability to become a leader. Others may laugh derisively at the blonde when he proclaimed he would one day be Hokage, but privately Shikamaru considered it a very real possibility. If he didn't get himself killed first.

With a sigh, Shikamaru tore his gaze away from the sky and pulled himself off the soft grass. He'd be late to the mission otherwise.

As he neared the gate, he spotted the whole group sans Kakashi - no surprises there - were gathered.

At the centre of the loose cluster was a girl a few years older than him, he guessed. Her hair was as black as his own, yet seemed to shimmer with a certain lustre that his lacked. Girl hair products were really weird.

She was chatting animatedly with the group of kunoichi and Kiba as Kurenai-Sensei and Sasuke stood off to the side.

"Shi-ka-ma- _ru_!" Ino called exasperatedly upon spotting his approach. "You're late!"

The boy shrugged. Ino wouldn't listen to any response anyway.

He grumbled to himself as the blonde latched on to his shoulder and pulled him into the group of people.

"This is Mishina-san. We'll be escorting her. And guess what, she knows _all_ the best gossip. She was just telling us about how Noburo-san, the owner of the tea shop near the Hokage tower-" The blondes' gushing was cut off by Kurenai's hand on her shoulder.

"All right, Genin. Kakashi is here-" Shikamaru may have imagined the note in her voice that said 'finally.' "so we're ready to head off. Because it's a lot of your first times on an extended mission, we'll check over your supplies before we leave."

Shikamaru sighed internally as he plopped his pack down to the ground. Off to the side, Ino and Sakura bickered about something or other, and Kiba had started leering at Sasuke who was steadily ignoring the Inuzuka.

The boy rolled his eyes.

This mission was going to be so _fun_.

… … … … … … ….

Yo. I know Natsumi is getting talked up a whole bunch, yet here's a hint for those who hadn't already worked it out based on the summary - she is not an OC.

Anyway, hopefully I gave a well-rounded assessment on each team member and how they would respond to this situation and this character. Let me know what you think!


	4. On the Road

Hey guys, most of this story I will be using different perspectives of the ninja to get a balance of the situation and plot etc, so to make it easier reading I've included little headers with the name of each person's perspective. I wasn't going to, but with re-reading I noticed it makes it easier to understand as sometimes it takes a few times to indicate that it has changed perspective.

Hope you enjoy

… … Shikamaru … …

The first hour of the journey was uneventful and quiet.

The latter point was quite a surprise, considering who was on the mission.

Kiba and Ino were naturally loud, and adding in Sasuke and Sakura as rivals to them should have set them right off. Shikamaru fully expected to be standing alongside Hinata as the only two quiet Genin.

However, this was not the case. The group walked in silence, only broken by the occasional humming from Mishina-San.

Shikamaru pursed his lips, contemplating the situation. It was nobody's first time outside the gate, so it shouldn't be a case of first C-rank jitters.

He'd even briefly considered the fact that Sasuke was present, and that perhaps it was keeping Ino and Sakura on their best behaviour, but he'd seen how they'd reacted in his presence at the Academy. It was not quiet at all, and they often tried to vocally outdo each other.

Perhaps then it was the memory of what the Hokage said that still rung in all their minds; that a lot of the girls were abducted within an hour of leaving their destination. Perhaps the group were simply behaving like proper shinobi, and were on the alert.

He filed the curiosity away when Mishina-san spoke up. She seemed to be the only one untroubled by the tense and quiet atmosphere.

"So, Haruno-san, what's it like being a ninja?" The taller girl turned to the kunoichi, who was closest to her.

Sakura started slightly, before sliding an awkward smile onto her face.

"A-ah! Well, it's definitely interesting. There is lots of work and training. Though, we only just graduated the Academy a few months ago so we are still quite new." Sakura shrugged.

The ebony haired girl tilted her head, curious.

"Oh? The Academy? Was that for ninja training?"

"Yes," Sakura nodded slightly. "Students usually enter when they are about five or six years old, and then by the time you're 12, you're usually ready to graduate. There's lots of theory on ninja arts as well as history, and they also teach us basics of weapon throwing and stealth."

Seeing Mishina-san's interested look, she continued.

"Then, if you graduate, you get placed in a team with two other members from your class, and get a Jonin Sensei to train you in more advanced skills." Sakura tilted her head towards Kakashi. "That's my sensei, Hatake Kakashi. He's renowned in all countries for his ninja skills!"

"Wow!" Exclaimed the older girl. "That is a lot of dedication. You must be a really good ninja." She complemented with a smile.

Sakura ducked her head and blushed.

"A-ah, no… not really." Her voice was quiet.

"I mean…" The Pinkette's voice stuttered, head snapping up. "I have lots of training, and good chakra control and book smarts.. But I'm not… I mean…" Her voice petered off helplessly.

The ebony haired girl shook her head.

"I'm sure you're great!" She smiled down at the younger girl.

In turn, Sakura's face lit up as she beamed.

The group walked a few more minutes, tree after tree passing slowly. Shikamaru didn't actually mind the slow pace, it was far more relaxing than running around all the time.

As they neared a fork in the road, their client spoke up again.

"So, Haruno-san, which three here are from your team?" Bright eyes turned towards Sakura in curiosity.

"Oh," Sakura tutted. "Only one of my team members is here. Even though we've got six Genin and two Jonin Sensei here, there are actually three different teams here."

The pink haired girl turned around to point at Shikamaru, who tried not to react beyond a slight clenching of the jaw.

"Shikamaru is on the same team as Ino-p- I mean Ino. Kiba and Hinata are on the same team, with Kurenai-sensei, and then Sasuke-kun and I have Kakashi-Sensei." She indicated each Genin as she spoke.

Behind Mishina-San's back, Shikamaru saw Ino scowl and make a rude gesture at the pinkette for the near-slip of her hated nickname. He rolled his eyes as Sakura's smile grew even sweeter.

"So each of you have a teammate staying back home, then?" The teen asked.

Sakura nodded.

"That's right. The Genin here were hand selected Hokage-sama because we'd be best suited to the mission." Shikamaru was sure that even the civilian in the group could detect the thinly veiled pride in the girls' words.

"I'm glad that our other team-mate didn't come." Sakura huffed, turning back to the road. "He's such a loser."

Behind a curtain of hair, Shikamaru could just make out a raised eyebrow from their client.

"Oh? I'm sure he's not that bad, if he's on a team with such a great Sensei and teammates."

Even the complement couldn't stop the pink haired girl's scowl from deepening.

"No way! He's only there because Sasuke-kun and I were the best in the year, and the teachers thought that we could carry him. He's totally useless, he can't even do basic missions without messing up and his ninja skills are abysmal."

Shikamaru was certain that Hinata was turning red, not to mention the rest of the group had subtly perked up and directed their attention towards the ranting girl.

Sakura, oblivious, continued.

"Not to mention, he has no manners or idea of how to act in public, so he's always making a fool of himself and us." She shook her head. "I know he doesn't have any parents to teach him these things but you think he'd know when to close his mouth."

Ino was the first to comment.

"Whoa, hey!" The blonde snapped, stepping closer to the two. "Just because Naruto is gross and annoying doesn't mean you have to go picking on him for not having parents."

The two girls glowered at each other, starting to argue.

Shikamaru sighed, subtly tilting his head towards the two Jonin to check their reactions. Kakashi had lowered his book, and Kurenai was openly frowning.

"Maa, Sakura, I think Ino-chan is right. Keep your thoughts about Naruto to yourself, especially in front of someone who has not yet met him and decided for herself." The Jonin's tone sounded light, but the words were steady and Shikamaru recognized the underlying command in his voice.

The pink haired girl flinched as if struck, before mumbling an apology.

The girl now cowed, the group relaxed.

Or rather, most of them had. Shikamaru noted the perfect posture of Mishina-san now held a certain rigidness to it, and her head angled away from the pink haired girl beside her with frosty dismissal.

Shikamaru frowned slightly. It was clear that Sakura's words had offended their client. How annoying, it was just beginning to get nice having a cheerful person in the group.

The group fell silent as they continued to walk, approaching the end of the first hour into their days-long journey.

… … Kakashi … …

Kakashi might have looked like he was engrossed in his reading - much to the chagrin of his fellow sensei - but in fact, he was keeping a watchful eye on the area.

While he, Kurenai and the Hokage had discussed that while an attempt could be made at any time, it was unlikely that an attack would be set up so close to a large village. Still, it didn't hurt to have the Genin on alert.

And on alert they were, he noted proudly.

He noted the twitching of the noses of both Akamaru and Kiba, as well as their darting canine eyes. Their sense of smell would develop greatly through puberty, and become impossible to hide from by their late teens.

Kakashi had been concerned at first about the Inuzuka's presence on the team. While he had faith in Kurenai's teachings, an early-pubescent Inuzuka - male or female - was notoriously rowdy, disobedient and challenged authority. Perhaps it was Kurenai's gender, or her ability to placate and calm, but there had been less trouble in the team than had been experienced by other Inuzuka Genin teams in the past.

But, it appeared his fears were unfounded, as Kiba seemed to have stepped back and allowed himself to follow the orders to scout, rather than give in to his base instinct to challenge all orders.

Moving on to the girl beside him, Kakashi noted a tenseness in Hinata's shoulders that he hadn't seen in the girl before. He rarely encountered her, and when he did it was usually in the presence of her father, where she kept herself hunched in on herself timidly.

While still not the rigid regal posture typical of a Hyuuga, out here and amongst friends, Hinata stood noticably straighter, her head higher and her eyes lifted from the ground. Her Byakugan flashed regularly as she scouted the area, saving Chakra yet still keeping an eye on the surroundings

A few Byakugan activations later, Kakashi noted with approval that she was deliberately activating at irregular intervals, not on the minute every minute, for example. A predictable ninja was a dead ninja, and - while few and far between - there was juutsu or abilities that could hide from Byakugan eyes if they knew when and where they would be active.

Not that the Hyuuga would admit to the existence of such techniques.

While originally Kakashi would have preferred another Hyuuga - perhaps her older cousin - he noted the benefits of bringing Hinata along on this mission. Not only was it clearly a growth exercise for her confidence, but the way that Kiba walked slightly behind Hinata in a protective stance made Kakashi realize that this would be a close-knit team that would work well together.

Hinata's eyes, also, were quite advanced for her age, or so he heard. And it did take a while to reach his ears, as well, as no doubt the fact that Hinata's sight range was years in advancement was a sore point for her clan-head father, who took every opportunity to be disappointed in his eldest daughter.

Slightly in front of the two of team Kurenai was Shikamaru. The boy was quiet, but used his silence to plot or examine situations, which Kakashi was highly approving of. His slouch said 'bored,' but his eyes told a different story. Kakashi was a big fan of disguising one's ability; it was why he walked around pretending to be engrossed in these books

Well, one of the reasons anyway.

Despite his place in every countries' Bingo Book, as well as all the information they contained, he still found that his nonchalant attitude and seeming careless literature perusal fooled the occasional assassin into believing he was over-cocky or off his game. But, as they quickly found out, it was not the case.

So, he approved of Shikamaru's ability to shrink into the background as the bored, uninterested one who would be the last target on the list, when in fact he should be one of the first.

He knew the boy was smart - one only had to spend a few minutes around Nara Shikakau before a mention was brought up - and he had heard much of his analytical mind from Asuma talking about their Shogi sessions, so he was content in Shikamaru's ability to create a plan that would utilize and keep safe all the Genin.

Towards the middle of the group, on the right hand side of their client, stood Shikamaru's teammate Ino. When they had started their journey, she had immediately positioned herself close to the centre of the group. Kakashi was unsurprised by this, as having Shikamaru on her team would have eventually drilled into her some strategy whether she noticed it or not.

The position she had taken up acted as a last-line defence of the client, and kept her out of the action for as long as possible while front-line fighters like Sasuke and Kiba could hold them off. She would then be free to use her clan techniques - all of which required distance.

Kakashi knew little about Ino, other than that she was 'totally annoying' and was after Sakura's 'Sasuke-kun.' Her father wasn't as boastful as Shikaku, so he wasn't sure where she was at in terms of her Yamanaka technique studies.

There had been a run-down of the skills of each genin on their team so that they would be better equipped to lead, however little had been offered in regards to Ino's skill. Slightly above average taijuutsu and rudimentary ninjuutsu had been mentioned, but not much more. Perhaps she was a little behind, or had had little opportunity to demonstrate her abilities up until now. Yamanaka fighting techniques were situational and required a lot of set up in most cases. Typically, there would be a front-line tank fighter who would serve as distraction and protection, and the timing would have to be right to set up a mind possession.

No, usually the Yamanaka techniques were practiced behind closed doors. Locked doors, usually. What wasn't mentioned in public about the golden-haired, perfect smiles clan was the dark side to their techniques - most of them were best suited for torture.

Ninja condition their bodies from their first year of training, with many able to withstand unimaginable pain. But get straight into their head, and they are far more vulnerable. Yamanaka could make men believe that they had murdered their families, or trick them into feeling phantom pain. The pushed until they found a situation or emotion that hurt then they crushed the subject with it. Kakashi knew of more than one prisoner that Inoichi had sent to the psych ward.

Clearing his head of the thought of the female-Inoichi that Ino might become, Kakashi's eyes flicked over to the last female Genin in the group, Sakura.

She, like Ino, had taken up a strategic position on the inside of the group, flanking Mishina-san on the opposite side. Ever since her outburst regarding Naruto, however, there seemed to be a larger gap between the client and Sakura than there was between Ino. Clearly her comments had not been well received.

Kakashi considered Sakura to be a near-prodigy. No other student -kunoichi or ninja - had ever topped a graduating class unless they were part of a clan, or at the very least had a superb ninja parentage. For the top Kunoichi to be the offspring of a housewife and an eternal Genin was rare and noteworthy.

When the Hokage had handed him the files on each of his soon-to-be students, Sakura's report had been glowing. On paper, she was a genius; a model student with exceptional skill and ability to learn. Unfortunately, what the report lacked was a character evaluation, and Kakashi quickly discovered that her potential was being limited by her interest in boys and rivalries.

Since Team 7 had been formed, Kakashi had worked with the girl to improve her confidence in her abilities, and tried to direct her focus away from less frivolous interests while on the job. There had been much improvement, and Sakura had almost stopped hyperventilating every time Sasuke touched her in a spar, however she was still prone to emotional outbursts.

Apparently it was a normal teenage girl thing.

Unfortunately however, this resulted in Sakura putting her foot in her mouth on occasion. Her words from earlier had offended or at least insulted their client, and there was a tangible air of aloofness Mishina-san was now giving off.

He'd have to have a talk with the girl about running her mouth. Not only had she acted in an unprofessional manner, but she had also insulted a fellow Shinobi. Such insults - depending on what was said - could have a negative impact on not only the targeted ninja, but also the whole village.

Best to impress upon the girl the consequences of words sooner rather than later.

Filing 'talking to Sakura' under To-Do, Kakashi secretly glanced towards the last Genin in the group, Sasuke. Just like Sakura's, Sasuke's academy file had been glowing, with barely-veiled comparisons between the young Uchiha and prodigies like Uchiha Shisui, or even the boys' own brother.

But, just like Sakura, in person Sasuke displayed serious character flaws. Namely a single drive towards revenge that he had already hinted wouldn't be hindered by things like friendship or loyalty. Kakashi and the Hokage had had a number of discussions regarding the boy and the fragile state of his mind and loyalty to Konoha.

It was difficult to approach the boy about, however. The few times that Kakashi had attempted to bring up his lack of interest in participating in group activities during or after training, he had been met with scathing rebuttals and declarations that his teammates weren't worth his time. Sasuke genuinely couldn't see why he should even attempt to form bonds with teammates or comrades, or specifically, what he would _gain_ from these bonds. And to Sasuke, if he didn't stand to benefit from a relationship, then he wouldn't have one.

Many ninja - Sensei or otherwise - saw Sasuke as an exemplary ninja who would go far. Kakashi, however, knew better. If Sasuke continued acting and reacting the way that he did, he would struggle to rise through the ranks. The Chuunin exams were organized around tests of logic, reasoning and strategy, and once a promotion was given, that ninja was expected to be able to lead Genin and direct civilians in a crisis. More importantly, lead and direct without bias or distraction. At the moment, Sasuke certainly wasn't capable of that.

Privately, Kakashi had struggled to lead and instruct his team. He might project a calm and in-control air, but in reality he stayed up all night trying to think of ways to help his team form the bonds that they would need throughout their ninja career. The Hokage, for example, had his own Genin teammates as advisors, and it had been decades since any of them had seen battle as a full unit. The first team was always the most important.

Kakashi had tried team exercises, individual training, resisting their demands for harder missions in hope of them turning their anger from each other and directing at him instead, anything to try and get them to work together willingly.

Their first C-rank to Wave Country: Provide valuable insight into team dynamics and responsibilities of all team-members? No. A thrown-in-the-deep-end experience in battle with each Genin at each other's throats by the end of it? You bet.

Individual training: Provide support for each Genin, in order to help them improve on their flaws and develop their interests? Not entirely. Rising jealousy between Sasuke and Naruto because each believed the other to be receiving better training, despite getting the same amount of attention? Absolutely.

D-Rank teaching missions at the academy: Allowing his team to see how far they had come since leaving the academy, and therefore boosting morale? He wished. Naruto being humiliated in front of a class of students, Sakura choking up in front of so much attention, and Sasuke being fawned over by squealing girls? Far more accurate interpretation.

He really wasn't sure what to do with them, and after hearing the preening from Asuma regarding their excellent team dynamics - an InoShikaCho redux who had known each other from birth - or Kurenai remarking on each of her team's amazing ability to track and coordinate as a unit even after only being together a month, he found it hard to find anyone to approach regarding the issues.

It was times like this that Kakashi missed his Sensei more than anything. He would have known what to do to help. Kakashi's own Genin team was in a similar state when they were formed, but within a few short months, they had become an excellent team capable of completing missions without a hitch.

Internally sighing, Kakashi tried to forget about the state of his team for the time being.

At that moment, the breeze shifted direction, and suddenly the sweet air was tainted with the underlying tang of sweat and blood. They were not alone.

Akamaru's whimper and Kiba's throaty growl revealed he wasn't the only one to notice. Examining her students' reaction, Kurenai's eyes flickered to Kakashi, confirming her student had caught a scent by the look in Kakashi's eyes.

The remaining genin weren't far behind, noting with admirable quickness the tension that was building in the group.

Suddenly, Shikamaru had smacked into the ground with a loud thud.

Already on edge, the startled Genin whirled to face the boy, examining him for injury. However, they quickly noted in confusion that the only damage to the boy seemed to be a grazed palm.

"Aa. Tripping over your own feet, Shikamaru-kun?" Kakashi eye-smiled at the boy. With his head angled downwards observing the fallen genin, he allowed a glint of praise to grace the visible part of his face.

He recognized what the boy had done. If they had kept walking, they would likely have ended up in a pre-arranged ambush. However if they deviated or stopped, then the group would know they were on to them.

But, if there were to be a seemingly legitimate reason for a break, then they could have an excuse to linger back at safety without arousing suspicion. Shikamaru had created a simple diversion that acted as cover for their awareness, as well as serving to provide a façade of weakness within the group.

"Well, we might as well rest, since our cute little genin seem so tired, Kurenai." Kakashi said, straightening. His fellow sensei had recovered neatly from her surprise, reaching the same conclusion Kakashi had.

"Perhaps it is best, we have been walking for almost two hours now." She agreed pleasantly.

Kakashi reached for his water bottle casually, leading by example. He noted that Sakura and Hinata had seemed to realize what had occurred as well, as they were digging through their packs searching for their own bottles, but he noticed Sakura discretely pick up a few extra shuriken as she brought her hands out.

Kiba, however, was giving Shikamaru very strange looks. Ino, as well, seemed confused, but more in a way that suggested she was trying to work out Shikamaru's angle, no doubt finding tripping over very out of character for her teammate.

Sasuke had either realized the reasoning behind the act, or didn't seem to care, his face as blank as usual.

Kakashi observed the group as he sipped from his flask pleasantly, posture deceptively relaxed. After a full three minutes, he began to scent the group getting closer, no doubt impatient with their delay. Such rookies.

He snapped the top back on to his flask, straightening. The group were nearly on top of them.

"Maa, how about lunch?" An eye-smile. "It's a pleasant enough spot."

The prospect of having to sit around any longer caused their hidden foes to snap, and he quickly caught the distinctive whistle of sharp metal curving through the air.

Kiba reacted appropriately, ducking and yanking Akamaru off his head. The shurikens flung harmlessly over him.

Instantly their group leapt into formation, Kiba growling at his partner having been the first target.

The enemy who had thrown the shuriken hadn't even bothered to move from his position, and as such was immediately pinpointed as he came charging out of cover.

His battle cry quickly became a yelp of pain, however, as he raised his arms to defend from the onslaught of metal projectiles thrown from Sakura, Ino and Sasuke. With a thud, he fell heavily to the ground, screeching in anger.

From their other side, a two larger men jumped out, one brandishing an axe in a way that he no doubt thought was threatening, but his stance and posture suggested he had the muscle to hold the weapon but not much else.

Behind them, four more jumped down, clad in the same ragged dyed red leather as the others, no doubt some attempt at a uniform.

They drew senbon and held them threateningly, arms raised out and poised to throw them, ready to provide dangerous cover fire for their melee teammates.

Or rather, they would be, if each and every one of them weren't facing 180 degrees away from them. Kurenai was always very quick with her Genjuutsu.

Another charged out from behind the fallen thug, brandishing twin swords that looked absolutely ridiculous in Kakashi's opinion. After fighting one of the Seven Swordsmen, this reedy, leering man seemed little threat.

At once, everyone moved.

Sasuke leapt forward, kunai in hand, meeting the clumsy swipe of the swordsman evenly.

Kiba and Akamaru leapt forward, providing a barrier between the two on the right and their group. Behind him, Ino quickly focused in on the large thug holding the axe, and the man's beady eyes glazed over with a successful mind transfer.

His partner beside him didn't know what hit him when the flat of the axe came crashing down on his head.

Once one threat was neutralized, Kiba and Akamaru leapt in synchronization at the still disorientated brute with the axe, taking him down bodily.

A yelp brought Kakashi back to the centre of the group, and Kakashi turned to see an enemy had snuck directly above the group and had lasooed Mishina-san's wrist with some type of chakra rope, and was yanking her upwards away from the safety of the group.

Kakashi leapt forward quickly and slashed through the cable, keeping a firm grip on the dangling part and after wrapping it securely around his hand, yanking the thug down.

Below him, Sakura caught and steadied Mishina as she fell the foot or so back to the ground, quickly ushering her out of the way as the body above them crashed down with a yelp.

Hinata darted forward, quickly striking the man's chest with rapid strikes, leaving him wheezing and unable to breathe.

Standing, Kakashi took stock of the battlefield. Kiba had successfully beat his opponent to unconsciousness, and he lay beside his previously felled partner. Akamaru was dashing triumphantly around, tail wagging in happiness as he dragged the comically larger axe between his teeth like an oversized trophy.

Likewise, Sasuke was stepping away from his own opponent, wiping his Kunai clean.

The wheezing enemy was being bound tightly by Sakura and Ino, putting up no resistance as he struggled to draw breath.

With a thunk, the happy puppy bumped into Kakashi's foot, dislodging the axe from between his teeth as the dog flipped over onto his back with a disgruntled bark.

"Thank you, Akamaru-chan!" Kakashi said brightly, reaching down to pick up the weapon as the puppy righted itself, shaking dust free from its coat.

Hefting the axe, he strode casually over to the four still-enthralled remaining enemies, swiftly bumping each of them on the back of the head with it. One by one, they crumpled to the ground.

"Right!" He spoke up as the last one hit the ground. "Excellent job team. Everyone responded quickly and appropriately and the battlefield was covered properly. Don't get complacent, however. A lot of our battles won't be against enemies as unskilled in ninja arts as this. Our only hiccup is we need to cover _all_ angles, which includes looking up. A lot of people will miss even the most obvious when it is just a little above their eyeline."

The team nodded collectively, accepting the praise and suggestion.

"How is your arm, Mishina-san." Kurenai enquired as she approached the client.

"It's fine." A small smile. The civilian was putting on a brave face, but her brow was pinched and she held her forearm with a tight grip.

"Let me see." Kurenai instructed gently, and the girl reluctantly relinquished her grasp.

A deep, red welt had been left by the chakra rope, not breaking the skin but likely quite painful. The female Jonin quickly inspected, cleaned and bound the wound, apologizing for her being injured.

"It's fine." The ebony haired girl assured. "You kept me safe."

As the buzz of adrenalin died down, Kakashi noted the weariness settle on the group. Hours of being on-edge and a quick but intense fight had left the group drained.

"How about a quick stop in at the next village?" Kakashi suggested brightly. "We can grab some lunch!"

Murmuring happily amongst themselves at the prospect of food, the group set off.

… … … … … … … … …

The group reached a small village an hour later, and the group stopped to get some food.

Before reaching the village, the two Jonin had briefed the group on the importance of staying together. This was an escort mission, and splitting up even in the relative safety of a village could be dangerous.

So, the group decided beforehand where they each wanted to eat, and picked a place that could accommodate a large party.

At the long table, Shikamaru wound up seated between Kiba and Sakura. On the other side of the table sat Ino, Mishina-san and Hinata, with the two Jonin taking up seats at either end.

The conversational was pleasant and up-beat, the prospect of warm and free food - paid for by the Jonin-sensei as a mission expense - was making all the genin content.

The group chatted pleasantly as they ate, enjoying the different tastes of the food outside of Konoha.

Once they had each eaten their fill and paid the bill, the group split in half to take a brief wander around the market. Kurenai took Kiba, Hinata and Sasuke, while Kakashi headed off towards the other direction with Sakura, Ino and Shikamaru trailing behind.

While Ino browsed a clothing shop and Shikamaru lounged in the shade, Kakashi took the opportunity to talk to Sakura about her earlier denouncement of Naruto. The girl's face grew longer and eyes wider as he explained all the complications and problems that could arise from such words, as well as brought up the fact that it wasn't kind to have assassinated Naruto's character in front of a stranger who had never met him.

After the brief chat, Sakura left suitably cowed, however notably perked up after being dragged through a few more stalls by Ino.

An hour later, the group was back on the road, walking in comfortable silence.

"So, Mishina-san, what do your parents do?" Ino was the first to speak this time.

"Please, call me Natsumi!" She corrected pleasantly before continuing. "My parents are both merchants. Mainly cloth and fine materials."

"Oh, how nice!" Ino gushed, before launching into a description of her favourite yet hard to procure materials. Kakashi tuned the majority out, not needing any more brain cells dedicated to different cuts of fabric.

The rest of the day until dusk continued in a similar Q & A fashion, and the group did not encounter any further conflict or trace of pursuers.

As they reached a secure and open clearing, the group set up camp for the night.

One Jonin sensei would be on watch at all times, and Kakashi elected to take the first watch.

Kurenai and Hinata turned in shortly after eating supper, followed shortly by Kiba and Akamaru. Sasuke wasn't far behind, skulking to his sleeping mat without so much as a 'good night.'

Mishina-san sat beside the fire, enjoying the warmth. Further back on her own sleeping mat, but not asleep, Sakura sat fidgeting as though internally fighting some conflict.

Finally, the girl stood and approached their seated client.

With a hidden smile, Kakashi turned his attention back to the dark surroundings, keeping a watchful eye.

… … … Sakura … … …

"Mishina-san?" Sakura called tentatively.

"Yes, Haruno-san?" Her eyes were like diamond chips.

Pink hair bowed.

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted in front of you regarding my other teammate." Sakura spoke quietly. "It was unprofessional and unbecoming of me as a person and kunoichi. I apologize if my words offended you."

A few seconds later, Sakura raised her head from her bow to meet the older girls' eyes. They were cool and speculative, and seemed to x-ray her where she stood.

Finally, a small smile graced pink lips.

"Apology accepted, Haruno-san. I apologize if I was a little cold to you, but your words… hit a little close to home for me." The corners of her lips twitched at some internal amusement.

"Oh," Sakura grimaced. "I apologize. I didn't mean to upset you in any way."

The older girl shrugged.

"While your words were a little harsh," Sakura had the decency to blush, "you couldn't have known about my past."

There was silence for a few moments, before the dark haired girl patted the ground beside her. Sakura obeyed, seating herself.

A few more moments of silence, as the teen seemed to settle herself.

"Both my parents died the day I was born." She finally spoke. Sakura sat rigidly, listening intently.

"I lived in the orphanage for the first years of my life. It wasn't pleasant, or glamorous, and there often wasn't enough caretakers to go around, and so for a lot of my life I raised myself."

"It wasn't until I was eight years old that I was… adopted, by my now-parents who were patient in correcting the bad habits and manners that I had picked up or taught myself over the years."

Brown eyes grew darker.

"It was… hard." She clucked. "Both raising myself, and then having to learn to trust someone after looking out for only one person my whole life. While parents can seem annoying at times, they really do want what's best for you, and unfortunately that's a luxury that some kids just don't have."

Brown eyes snapped to green.

"So, Sakura-san, I'm sure you've learnt a little about how you can make people like your teammate feel."

Sakura nodded slowly, swallowing.

"Good." Her smile was wide and serene. "Thank you for apologizing."

Sakura bowed her head.

"Thank you for accepting my apology." She said, the weight lifting from her shoulders that had been left by Kakashi-Sensei's scolding.

The dark haired girl rose.

"I'll turn in for the night. Thank you for the chat, Sakura-san."

The two stood and parted, heading to their sleeping mats and settling in for the night.

… … … … … … … … …

Several miles away, the group of bandits that had been interrogated and then released by Kurenai and Kakashi earlier that day reached their hide out and reported to their leader of the outcome.

After several minutes of harsh shouting as he berated the group for the failure, he sent them away with a gnashing of teeth.

"Bring me Jihou!" The man commanded, spittle flinging from his mouth as he snapped at the man beside the door. "I want that girl and those ninjas' heads!"

… …. … … … .. .. ..


End file.
